OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of puerarin on invasive and metastatic abilities of tumor cells, and its possible mechanism through observing its impacts on the migratory, adhesive and invasive capacities of human oophoroma cells HO-8910 to the artificial recombined basement membrane.

METHODSExpression of estrogen receptor (ER) in HO-8910 cells was detected using PCR assay. Effects of puerarin on HO-8910 proliferation was detected with MTT assay; on its adhesion potential was tested with cell-matrigel adhesion assay, and on invasive and migratory capacities were measured with Transwell matrigel invasion assay and Transwell motility assay respectively.

RESULTSER was positively expressed in HO-8910 cells. After being treated with 20 micromol/L puerarin for 12 h, the adhesive test showed that OD value in the tested group was significantly lower than that in the control (P < 0.01), the inhibiting rate reached 50.63%; and the Transwell assay showed a significant lowering of penetrated cells (P < 0.01), the inhibition rate for invasion was 38.59% and that for motility migration 40.63%. The number of penetrated cells was lower in the group intervened with combination of Puerarin and estrogen than in the group intervened with estrogen alone, 33.40 +/- 3.30 vs 48.05 +/- 3. 56 for invasion and 35.35 +/- 3.03 vs 52.45 +/- 1.04 for motility (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPuerarin can inhibit the adhesion, invasion and migration of HO-8910 cells, plays an antagonist effect against the stimulation of estrogen on the malignant behavior of tumor cells.